1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for feeding fiber bands to a knitting machine with a creel, in which at least one bobbin is arranged so that a fiber band can be drawn off with feeder rolls featuring a feed drive. The fiber band is guided through feeder rollers with a band storage, which has a variable-length storage path for the fiber band.
2. Discussion of Background Information
DE 100 03 184 A1 shows feeder rolls arranged at the output of the creel. The band storage follows the feeder rolls, and the band storage has a moveably supported guide roll, which is drawn downwards under the effect of gravity and additionally under the effect of a spring in order to accept a band length when it is not needed.
The above device is used to feed fiber bands of a band feed device to a knitting machine with a weft insertion system.
In a knitting machine with a weft insertion system, fiber bands are fed to the knitting area via two transport chains arranged in the area of the longitudinal edges of the knitted article and fixed to one another with stitch threads. The combined fiber bands are termed “fiber band scrim,” and extend between the transport chains, which are provided with a holding device for the fiber bands. A band layer is located above the transport chains, wherein the fiber bands supplied by the device are conveyed over the transport chains and inserted into the holding device of the transport chains. The band layer transports the fiber band and places it in the transport chains only when crossing in one direction, i.e., from the transport chain facing the transfer station to the opposite transport chain. The back stroke of the band layer is carried out without the fiber band, since a reversing of the band transport has proven to be very difficult. After the back stroke of the band layer has been completed, the severed end of the fiber band is held ready in the transfer station which is again grasped and brought over the transport chains in the same order. The band layer thus removes the fiber band from the device with breaks, more specifically, the fiber band is not processed by the band layer at a constant speed.
Laying is an important aspect to fiber bands, so as to have a constant width in the fiber bands lateral extension, in order to prevent gaps between the individual inserted fiber bands. On the other hand, the tension of the fiber bands must be kept constant in order to prevent differences in the scrim. The fiber bands to be processed are mostly carbon fibers or glass fibers, which have a very low elasticity. Once differences in tension exist, it is virtually impossible to even them out again afterwards.